Lightning Vines
by Tricksterr
Summary: The crew is back together again, staying at Briars ivy covered house in Winding Circle. When two siblings fall in love, will it be that much of a shock? Set after Will of the Empress. Brair/Tris. Enjoy, and review. Read before you review, though!
1. The Beginning

**A/N My first CoM story, it's Tris/Briar, because there isn't enough! Besides in Will of the Empress the****y were **_**so **_**flirting! It takes place after Will of the Empress too, by the way. Well, go on, read!**

**()Prologue() **

"Take your pick, Briar Moss," a temple novice named Idlewood said, nudging Briar in the ribs. Another novice named Amos nodded with a goofy grin. The novices were all Briar's age.

They sat together outside on a lush green hill, watching the strange and unusual people that belonged to Winding Circle. Al had been going well. That is, until his foster sister's walked by, a few yards away. Close enough to see them, far enough not to hear them. They were waiting for Sandry to finish looking at cloth.

"C'mon, Briar, you've known since before they could fit into a breast-band, you must think one of them is appealing!" Amos said, winking at Daja.

"I don't, and even if I did I wouldn't say. You know they're in my mind," Briar said, waving at the girls. Their connection had been open for two years now, and Briar felt like all was as it once had been, or maybe even stronger.

Idlewood released a snort. _Briar, are talking about something profane? _Tris asked in his head. Briar looked up to see she was engrossed in a thick heavy book.

_Nope, are you reading profanity, Coppercurls? _Briar laughed aloud, to the suspicion of his two friends.

"Are you mind-speaking while talking to us? That's rude," Amos teased. Briar made a rude gesture, which was followed by the 3 outraged shrieks of:

_Briar!_

_Can't help myself, once a street rat, always a street rat! _Briar teased.

He smiled lazily and leaned back, feeling the life force of the plants.

_Briar Moss, remember, I know where you live. Think pirates. _Tris warned in his head, before cutting of the connection.

Coppercurls is a handful, but she's great. She looks much better than when we were kids…more muscle than fat. She looks rather appealing in a dress…wait, Briar, bad thoughts, bad thoughts! Briar thought to himself, shaking his head at his inner turmoil.

"Briar, are you all right? Are you fighting wish your 'sisters' in your head again?" Idlewood asked.

"For once I'm arguing with myself," Briar muttered darkly. He stood up, gently telling the plants that he would be back, when they called for him. He dusted his dark brown breeches. He waved good-bye to Amos and Idlewood, before walking in the direction his ivy covered home.

True, Daja did offer him her home, but he politely declined ("I had enough of living with you girls. I ain't staying no longer. Come an' visit.").

As soon as he walked in, he was mobbed by 2 screaming peoples. He sensed another quieter person with them. He called for one of the plants in the room, before realizing his sisters were here for a visit.

**Tris's POV**

"Briar Moss, if you had attacked us, this place would be long gone," I said,looking up from my book. I nodded towards him before petting Chime, who was currently staring a Briar.

_By now you should know not to surprise me, Coppercurls, _Briar mind-spoke to me. For some reason when he spoke to me privately in my head, itmade meblush.

I forever will blame it on something I saw on the wind.

"Why?" he asked, out loud.

"It's your 'birth-day', and Tris made something explode, so, we're staying here," Sandry informed, using her 'noble voice'.

"It's didn't explode, Sadriliene fa Toren, it blew up," I said, without looking up from my book.

"Sam difference," Daja said with a wave of her dark hand. Briar looked at all of us, with the funniest expression on his face. He looked sort of handsome like that. Not that I care, of course! And, I mean siblings can see other siblings as good-looking right? I felt lightning fizz around my braids.

"Are you alright, Coppercurls?" Briar asked me, with raised eyebrows.

The nerve!

**Briar **

I seriously am worried; she'd been sitting there for two minutes with her braids getting brighter and brighter.

"Make yourselves at home," I said, as the girls went up the stairs. They were on their way up before I even told them it was alright to stay.

Isn't great when your sisters are always in your head?

**A/N I know, it's short, I switched POV to fast, and I was way out of character. But I wrote this when I was supposed to be doing a very detailed Science report. Please review. GO BRIAR AND TRIS!**


	2. Falling Asleep but not alone

**A/N Ch/2!**** Mwahahahahahaha****….ha? Please**** enjoy. By the way…I was hoping in WotE that Briar would kiss Tris. Did you notice how he said he needed someone warm with him while he slept? I pervishly hoped it would be Tris at one point. …;)**

**On with the story.**

She has a quick-wit and a quick-temper, it drives me nuts! I mean really! I accidentally walk in on her braiding her hair and she goes berserk! She tells me that I could have been electrocuted or that I could have blown up, then pushes me out of the room! Wait, she was trying to protect me….that makes sense! Briar thought to himself.

He tended to his _shakkan_ with tender care. He realized suddenly that he would have to sleep alone. No one to hold, no one warm. And no one could know about it. The _shakkan_ reached out to him, wondering at his despair.

"Damn, woman, you had to loose control!" he said loudly, as he treated the plant gingerly.

"I always have found it entertaining that you could talk like that and still treat a plant so kindly," a voice from the door said, with obvious amusement.

"Coppercurls! Just yesterday, I told you don't surprise me! I could hurt you!" Briar said, halting the tending of his plant. His gaze shifted to the window on the other side of the room. It over-looked the garden its plants hungrily reaching up to him.

Suddenly it was downpour. The bitter rain fell low and hard, to his shock. "Mila! Tris, why is it raining! Don't deny it; you ain't gonna lie to me! You can't!" Briar yelled in his despair of being alone and the shock of the sudden rain.

"But you don't care do you? You regret me loosing control for even a second when it forced you to be hospitable! If I get hurt it doesn't matter!" Tris yelled, causing a howling wind. Briar fell back on his bed, in shock. Tris usually wasn't like this.

Okay she is, but never like _this. _She usually doesn't get hurt by a simple slip of words. 'Specially from me….Briar debated in his mind.

_Tris? _Briar mind-whispered.

_What?_

_I guess I'm kinda sorry. _

_You should be, Briar Moss._

_I-I have a reason. I just can't say it. Not right now. _

_Okay, just never come in when I do my braids. I do care, Briar, I do. _

"Thank you," Briar said with his classic grin. He decided to the only thing that could really complete the moment.

He walked up to Tris, his face a mere inches from hers. Her breath caught in her throat. He reached up as if to stroke her cheeks, which were currently a crimson red. Instead he pulled on one of the free braids that didn't consist of magic.

"Thanks a ton, Coppercurls."

And he walked out of the room. Just like that.

**SANDRY**

I walked by Briar as I climbed up the stairs with new fabrics. He was whistled this song that was almost sad, yet happy. I wondered what happened.

On my way to my room, I passed Briar's room. Tris stood there at the door, staring at the ground, with a stubborn blush on her cheeks. One of her hands was lightly touching her cheek.

"Tris? All you alright? I could get Briar to make you some medicine….Tris?" I started, but she had gone rather pale. No, she matched my snow white silk shade for shade.

"I'll get Briar," I said more firmly. I put down my things, and started to walk out of the room, but Tris grabbed my arm.

"Don't you dare get Briar," she said in that icy voice that could scare Empress Berenene.

"Trisana Chandler, what happened?" I asked calmly, getting ready for Briar's clothes to suddenly unwind. While he happened to be in a public place.

"He, pulled one of my non-magical braids," she said slowly.

**TRISANA**

"And?" Sandry asked. She seemed unimpressed.

"I thought he was going to kiss me!" I said as the pouring rain fell from a cloudless sky. Mt spectacles were downcast, not daring to look at my _saati. _Yes, I had adopted the term. Trader or no, Daj' was my family.

"Tris, did you _want _him to?" she asked carefully, taking for steps back, just in case.

"No! No! I just was in shock!" I said with a grin. Okay, I admit I have wondered what his lips felt like.

_What was that thought? _Daja's voice came ringing in my head.

_What? _I tried pulling off innocently.

_Which boy were you thinking of? _

_No one. _And I cut off my connection.

**BRIAR, NIGHTTIME**

I sat on my bead, holding my _shakkan. _My thoughts were veiled to all the girls. But for some reason there was still a thing shred of opening to Tris that I couldn't bring myself to close.

Suddenly, there she was. At my door, with the most worried expression I'd ever seen on her face.

"Yeah?" I scowled. I couldn't let her see me so alone, so scared.

"You were lonely, I could sense it," she shrugged, sitting next to me.

"So?" I said, reverting to a closed attitude.

"Why?" she asked, getting to the point and avoiding my question.

"I-I-I can't sleep alone," I suddenly confessed. I couldn't break myself from her. I had to talk.

"I'll stay with you," she offered. I felt my eyes widen, and felt my cheeks flush. She couldn't mean like _that._

"Briar Moss, you're corrupt. I stay in your room, but nothing will be going on but snores," she said, with her own cheeks flushing prettily.

Wait where'd that come from?

I shrugged, with a soft smile. We awkwardly curled up together under my sheets. She almost instantly fell asleep, but I took a minute more to catch a whiff of her tangy smelling hair.

**DAJA, MORNING**

I woke up and the sun was shining in the way that I can feel the heat that I so love. The sun that accented Rizu's hair beautifully. I shook my head to release any thoughts of her.

I walked down the stairs, meeting Sandry who was downstairs looking worried. She sat with a piece of bread in front of her.

"What?" I asked yawning.

"My connection with Briar and Tris is closed," she said. I tried myself, and found it closed too.

With a roll of my eyes, I banged on Briar's mind with white-hot heat. His connection opened almost immediately.

_What, woman?_

_Do you know where Tris is? _

_Yes…_

_Briar, what _aren't _you telling us? _Sandry interrupted.

_She slept with me last night. _

_Oh-sorry-I'll ah-sorry! _Sandry blushed.

_I'll leave your mind. _Daja said hurriedly.

_Not like that! And you call me corrupt. We slept. As in snored. I had a nightmare, and I ain't ready to be up. _He closed the connection.

"Well..? Good morning, Daja?" Sandry said, wrinkling her tiny nose.

"As too you, _saati,_" Daja replied, unusually fazed.

**A/N Hi! Review please! Or I'll get discouraged, and stop writing. Really. So review! :D **


	3. Don't Judge Me

**A/N Hi! This is ch 3. No duh……it's a shame really. For this author's note I have no witty comparison to something in WotE…….T_T. Bummer. Anyways…..reading the actual story might be a good idea. Yeah. **

She looks so beautiful, but I can't let her no that, now can I? Briar thought as he watched the sunlight stream from the window, hitting Tris perfectly.

Her red hair was spread over her bare arms as she breathed heavily. The blankets were tangled around her, not leaving much for Briar, but for once he didn't care. He could see the outline of her light summer gown from under the blankets, and that was its own reward.

She was subconsciously pressed close to him, and he dared not move, with his head propped up on his elbow. His lips were set on a small grin.

Suddenly the sheets rustled, and Tris's eyes fluttered open. "I'm hot." She said in groggy, hoarse voice.

"Good morning to you to, Coppercurls," Briar laughed, loving the smile that spread on her lips.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked him, stretching. His eyes brightened.

"Yeah, I did." He replied, with his signature grin. She grinned back, before getting up and shrugging on an over-garment.

**BRIAR **

I think it was right then. Right then when I realized I loved her, watching Tris when she can be so human, so gentle.

But if you let her know that I'd send my vines after you.

She carefully walked out of the room; and my thoughts were focused only on her. And how much I've always loved her, but was too stupid to notice.

_Who? _I hear Sandry in my mind.

_Who what, woman?_

_You thought of a girl. And not just for sleeping. But I couldn't catch who……_

_My plant. They have genders! Yeah, I never realized how much I like roses. _

_Riiiiiiiiight. _

_Don't judge me. _

_I'm not._

_Sandry?_

_Fine. Daja will judge you. Beware. _And she cut of her connection.

After 5 minutes of sitting there thinking, I decided I should have let Sandry judge me. Daja was harsher. With a shake of my head I stood up and ambled down the stairs.

Everything looked normal. As if I hadn't spent the night with the love of my- rose!

_Rose? _Daja asked.

_You have a problem with roses?_

_No._

_So there!_

_Do you like roses?_

_Yes._

_Do you like your _shakkan?

_Yes._

_Do you love Tris?_

_Yes. Wait-no! Damn it! _

_Hah! _

_Don't. Judge. Me! _

_Fine._

And suddenly, Tris looked up.

**A/N Sorry it's short! I had no time to write, and besides, this needed to be said and that's all. Da end. Please review!**


	4. The Plan

**A/N Sorry, Sorry, I was dying from lack of inspiration!!! :P Haha, so yeah, here's the chapter. **

"What was that Briar?" Tris asked, frowning. She stared at Briar in amused concern.

"Daja is, ah, judging me over my love of roses!!" Briar hurriedly offered, praying to her with his eyes to accept his pathetic response.

Tris raised an eyebrow but dropped the matter.

_Info, please? _Tris asked Sandry in her mind.

Sandry grinned wickedly and shrugged. Tris stared daggers at her.

"Sandry, do mind coming with me to the forge?" Daja asked. "I want to see if we can get some kind of metal lace…."

"Of course, Daj. Tris you should stay with Briar, make sure he doesn't do anything dirty!" Sandry said, not so subtly.

"What?" Briar shouted as Sandry and Daja flitted out the door.

"Is there anything you need to tell me?" Tris asked, placing a soft hand on is cotton-clothed shoulder.

Briar only took her face in his warm steady hands and placed his lips on hers.

Initially Tris stared at his closed eyelids, rigid with shock. But just as she was about to kiss him back, with all the love she never knew she had, he pulled back. He dropped his hands dejectedly.

"Briar……." Tris started. But Briar cut her off.

"No need for apologies, but I guess I kind of had to try that," Briar said, not at all fazed by what just happened. In contrast Tris's face was crimson red and she was desperately trying to gather the scrambled bits of her mind.

Nonchalantly, Briar turned on his heel and walked out the door leading to the garden.

Briar Moss, you idiot! You don't go about Tris like that! She could have electrocuted you or worse! Mila, you idiot you ruined everything, Briar thought as he leaned against the wall farthest from the door as he could. He didn't realize that a mere 10 feet away Tris was still standing where he left her, her fingers resting on her lips and her eyes glazed over.

Tris walked over to where Briar was standing, staring at the sky.

"Briar? What was that for? Are you just messing with me or something because it isn't funny!" Tris stormed over, coming to the conclusion that Briar was just teasing her. Her braids fizzed and her grey eyes looked more like the storms in the sky than the eerie calm most were used to.

"What? No! Tris, would I do that to you?" Briar said, startled. As soon as the words fumbled out of his mouth he felt the connection between him and Sandry and Daja flare open once again.

_Briar! What did you do to her? If you hurt her, then by Mila I'll have your britches torn apart seam by seam. _Sandry's voice echoed in his head. Briar's eyes widened.

What he didn't know was that at the current moment Tris was itching to kiss him as much as he was itching to kiss her.

So in the way he had learned to do after all these years of knowing the girls he fled the house before Tris could open her mouth.

~*~

Briar sat on a small hill, flanked by Amos and Idlewood. Both were lending a slight sympathetic ear.

"What do I do!?" Briar exclaimed for the eighteenth time in 12 minutes.

"You could tell her you love her?" Amos suggested patting him on the shoulder twice before wincing in sympathy.

"That's tacky. You have to _show _her with a big romantic gesture. My da told me so," Idlewood said lightly, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"No he can't do that! She would kill him, and you know it!" Amos retorted.

"She's still a girl, she'd love it!" Idlewood fired back.

"Hey! It ain't your love lives, it's mine!" Briar cut it, feebling running his hand through the grass.

"But do you have a plan," Amos asked, his eyes roaming across the land, as if sudden inspiration would strike him.

"I do, but no one is going to like it," Briar began slowly. The plants around him reached up towards him, wanting to touch him in bitter sympathy. They felt the dread in his heart as he said his master plan aloud.

"Well?" Amos urged. Idlewood nodded him on.

"I'm going to have to ask my sisters for help," Briar said, the doom resting heavily over the three in a dark metaphorical cloud.

**A.N I know, I know it's short. This chapter is a tad bit of a filler. Just a tad. So enjoy and wait for the next chapter! **


	5. IMPORTANT, Update status

**Hi, guys! This, I have to apologize, is not an update. **

**I know that this story has been...um, dead. But I fully intend to continue it. At the moment I"m re-reading The Will of the Empress. Once I finish, and my personal muses decide to stop being such pain in asses, then I promise there will be an update! **

**Once again, thanks so much for sticking through with me anyways. Really, I appreciate it! This is story has been inactive for over a year now, and it's still my most read story, still gets faves, and subscriptions! You guys are really great readers, I'm trying not to let you down! So keep your eyes peeled for an update...it's coming :D**

**-Tricksterr **


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